“It's been amazing how fast we've been able to turn out new libraries, new spins, new corner models with your tools.”

I interviewed Silvaco partner Stephen Fairbanks, CTO of Certus Semiconductor from the show floor at DAC 2019, in Las Vegas, about I/O Design and Characterization.  He talks about using the Viola characterization tool from Silvaco for a complex part while under time pressure to produce an accurate model. A full transcript of the conversation is below.

Graham Bell: We're at DAC in Las Vegas. It's warm outside, but we're inside here talking about I/O and how I/O is involved with different aspects of chip design. Certus Semiconductor provides I/O services and I/O products for IC designers. Now, you mentioned off camera that I/Os are free from the IC Foundries, so how can you make a business when somebody else is offering free?

Stephen Fairbanks: That's an excellent question. We've been doing this for 12 years now. And yes we do, we compete with free, because you can get I/Os and you can get ESD libraries from the Foundries for free, and even a lot of the IP core suppliers will offer I/Os as part of their packages. We have found a niche. Because what's happened as technologies progressed, the interfaces have become more complex. Companies need more features in a single product, they need more voltage domains, more power capabilities; they need power down modes, and they need I/Os to serve multi-role purposes, and we can help them do that. And another feature is area, especially in the realm of IoT and consumer electronics this is a big issue. We are always able to optimize our customers' packages, packaging, pad rings by tailoring the I/O to their particular cost and product needs. So in those areas, we can beat the foundries every time.

GB: That's great. Now we have a new verification solution called Viola 10X, and that's been used in at least one application I think that you're aware of. Can you share your experiences with our new Viola application? (more…)